The Power of a REALTOR®

A home is the most expensive purchase most Americans make in their lifetime. It’s a serious transaction with significant financial and emotional ramifications for the parties involved, and having proper representation is critical. A REALTOR® brings:

When you work with a Realtor® and sign an agreement for them to represent you, their responsibility is to you. That means you have an expert who is looking out for your best financial interests, an expert who’s contractually bound to do everything in their power to protect you. That’s big — the value of that commitment cannot be overstated.

Buying or selling a home is not like purchasing a plane ticket. Every home is different, and laws change every year and vary from state to state. Generally speaking, people purchase a new home every 7-10 years, and a lot can — and usually does — change between transactions. Realtors® are immersed in real estate, and they must stay current with all the updates in regulations, laws, contracts and practices. Once you retain your REALTOR®, they put that knowledge to work for you.

Browsing online is a terrific way to start a home search — in fact, almost 90 percent of people start their home search online.But when it’s time to buy, knowing all the pros and cons of a property can help you make the right decision. Realtors® live and breathe real estate, and they can share information about a home that you wouldn’t otherwise know. For example, they can tell you about the perils of polybutylene piping (a plumbing material that’s prone to bursting), or the concerns with FRT plywood (a roofing material that can spontaneously combust in higher temperatures, like those in attics). Your REALTOR® can go beyond the aesthetics and tell you important details about homes you’re considering.

There are lots of sites where you can view price estimates for your home before you list it for sale, but you take a risk using them. In some markets, online estimates can be off by as much as 35 percent, and they often rely on tax records and data that can be as old as 6-12 months. REALTORS® know the local market, have access to the freshest sale data, and can price your house in line with the market to maximize your earnings.

Finding the right home is the fun part. Then the real work begins.: Today’s contracts can be 50 pages long — not counting addendums and riders. Realtors® can help you navigate these complex documents and craft an attractive offer that makes sense for you. Plus, when it comes to negotiation, your Realtor® is youradvocate and can bring an objective voice to a very subjective situation.

When you work with a REALTOR®, you’re partnering with a professional who operates according to a strict code of ethics. In place for over 100 years, the REALTOR® Code of Ethics ensures that consumers who work with a REALTOR® are treated professionally and ethically in all transaction-related matters. In addition, you have a non-court avenue to hold your REALTOR® accountable through their local board Code of Ethics enforcement process.

In a big win for REALTORS®, the National Flood Insurance Program will continue renewing or issuing new insurance for four more months under legislation overwhelmingly passed by the U.S. Senate today. The bill, which [...]

Cumulative Days On Market Drops 20% While Prices Rise 9.9% According to preliminary data released last week by the Cape Cod & Islands Association of REALTORS® (CCIAOR), 535homes sold in June, 413 single-family homes and [...]

The Cape Cod Commission, in collaboration with the towns of Eastham, Orleans and Falmouth, will be hosting a series of Community Resiliency by Design workshops focused around the concept of housing density. The workshops are [...]